Spaceflight Insider

China’s Tiangong-1 space laboratory is now in the history books after it burned up almost entirely on re-entry above the southern Pacific Ocean. While most parts of the defunct station are believed to have burned up in the Earth’s atmosphere, some pieces may have survived and plummeted into the water.

Latest predictions indicate that China’s defunct Tiangong-1 space laboratory will fall to Earth most likely on April 1. According to updated calculations made by The Aerospace Corporation, the station will enter the atmosphere around 11:15 a.m. EDT (15:15 GMT) plus or minus 14 hours.

According to new calculations, China’s Tiangong-1 space laboratory will most likely fall to Earth over Easter weekend. More specifically, the European Space Agency and The Aerospace Corporation predict that the out-of-control spacecraft will re-enter the atmosphere between March 29 and April 4.

ESA’s Space Debris Office has issued a new updated forecast for the imminent atmospheric re-entry of China’s Tiangong-1 space laboratory, which appears to have been floating in space out of control for almost two years.

According to new calculations, China’s space laboratory, Tiangong-1 will fall to Earth in March of 2018. While most parts of the spacecraft are likely to burn up in the atmosphere, there are concerns that some pieces, containing highly-toxic chemicals, may hit the ground.

It could be just a matter of few weeks or months before China’s Tiangong-1 space laboratory will fall to Earth. The spacecraft is continuing its gradual descent toward the surface after control over the mission was lost in early 2016.

China’s first space laboratory, Tiangong-1 (“Heavenly Palace”), is expected to re-enter the atmosphere in the second half of 2017, according to Chinese officials. While most parts of the spacecraft will burn up, there are worries some pieces may hit the ground.